The Doctrine and Covenants

Section 49

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet to Sidney Rigdon, Parley P. Pratt, and Leman Copley, at Kirtland, Ohio, May 7, 1831. Leman Copley had embraced the gospel but still held to some of the teachings of the Shakers (United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing), to which he had formerly belonged. Some of the beliefs of the Shakers were that Christ’s Second Coming had already occurred and that He had appeared in the form of a woman, Ann Lee. They did not consider baptism by water essential. They rejected marriage and believed in a life of total celibacy. Some Shakers also forbade the eating of meat. In prefacing this revelation, Joseph Smith’s history states, “In order to have [a] more perfect understanding on the subject, I inquired of the Lord, and received the following.” The revelation refutes some of the basic concepts of the Shaker group. The aforementioned brethren took a copy of the revelation to the Shaker community (near Cleveland, Ohio) and read it to them in its entirety, but it was rejected.

1–7, The day and hour of Christ’s coming will remain unknown until He comes; 8–14, Men must repent, believe the gospel, and obey the ordinances to gain salvation; 15–16, Marriage is ordained of God; 17–21, The eating of meat is approved; 22–28, Zion will flourish and the Lamanites blossom as the rose before the Second Coming.

1 Hearken unto my word, my servants Sidney, and Parley, and Leman; for behold, verily I say unto you, that I give unto you a commandment that you shall go and apreach my gospel which ye have received, even as ye have received it, unto the Shakers.

2 Behold, I say unto you, that they desire to know the truth in part, but not all, for they are not aright before me and must needs repent.

4 And my servant Leman shall be ordained unto this work, that he may reason with them, not according to that which he has received of them, but according to that which shall be ataught him by you my servants; and by so doing I will bless him, otherwise he shall not prosper.

5 Thus saith the Lord; for I am God, and have asent mine bOnly Begotten Son into the world for the credemption of the world, and have decreed that he that receiveth him shall be saved, and he that receiveth him not shall be ddamned—

6 And they have done unto the aSon of Man even as they listed; and he has taken his power on the bright hand of his cglory, and now reigneth in the heavens, and will reign till he descends on the earth to put all enemies dunder his feet, which time is nigh at hand—

7 I, the Lord God, have spoken it; but the hour and the aday no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor shall they know until he comes.

8 Wherefore, I will that all men shall repent, for all are under asin, except those which I have breserved unto myself, choly men that ye know not of.

9 Wherefore, I say unto you that I have sent unto you mine everlasting acovenant, even that which was from the beginning.

10 And that which I have promised I have so fulfilled, and the anations of the earth shall bbow to it; and, if not of themselves, they shall come down, for that which is now exalted of itself shall be laid clow of power.

11 Wherefore, I give unto you a commandment that ye ago among this people, and say unto them, like unto mine apostle of old, whose name was bPeter:

12 aBelieve on the name of the Lord Jesus, who was on the earth, and is to come, the beginning and the end;

13 aRepent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, according to the holy commandment, for the remission of sins;

14 And whoso doeth this shall receive the agift of the Holy Ghost, by the laying on of the bhands of the elders of the church.

15 And again, verily I say unto you, that whoso aforbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for bmarriage is ordained of God unto man.

16 Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one awife, and they twain shall be bone flesh, and all this that the cearth might answer the end of its creation;

17 And that it might be filled with the measure of man, according to his acreationbbefore the world was made.

22 And again, verily I say unto you, that the Son of Man acometh not in the form of a woman, neither of a man traveling on the earth.

23 Wherefore, be not adeceived, but continue in steadfastness, blooking forth for the heavens to be cshaken, and the earth to tremble and to reel to and fro as a drunken man, and for the dvalleys to be exalted, and for the emountains to be made low, and for the rough places to become smooth—and all this when the angel shall sound his ftrumpet.

24 But before the great day of the Lord shall come, aJacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall bblossom as the rose.

25 Zion shall aflourish upon the bhills and rejoice upon the mountains, and shall be assembled together unto the place which I have appointed.

26 Behold, I say unto you, go forth as I have commanded you; repent of all your sins; aask and ye shall receive; knock and it shall be opened unto you.